rupting a wild outburst
from the former, "your refusal is dictated by insufficient knowledge
of your surroundings. You find yourself in a place strange to you, a
place to which no clue can lead your friends; in the absolute power
of a man--myself--who knows no law other than his own and that of
those associated with him. Virtually, Sir Baldwin, you stand in
China; and in China we know how to _exact_ obedience. You will not
refuse, for Dr. Petrie will tell you something of my _wire-jackets_
and my _files_...."

I saw Sir Baldwin Frazer blanch. He could not know what I knew of the
significance of those words--"my wire-jackets, my files"--but perhaps
something of my own horror communicated itself to him.

"You will not _refuse_" continued Fu-Manchu softly; "my only fear for
you is that the operation my prove unsuccessful! In that event not
even my own great clemency could save you, for by virtue of your
failure I should be powerless to intervene." He paused for some
moments, staring directly at the surgeon. "There are those within
sound of my voice," he added sibilantly, "who would flay you alive in
the lamentable event of your failure, who would cast your flayed
body"--he paused, waving one quivering fist above his head, "to the
rats--to the rats!"

Sir Baldwin's forehead was bathed in perspiration now. It was an
incredible and a gruesome situation, a nightmare become reality. But,
whatever my own case, I could see that Sir Baldwin Frazer was
convinced, I could see that his consent would no longer be withheld.

"You, my dear friend," said Fu-Manchu, turning to me and resuming his
studied and painful composure of manner, "will also consent...."

Within my heart of hearts I could not doubt him; I knew that my
courage was not of a quality high enough to sustain the frightful
ordeals summoned up before my imagination by those words--"my files,
my wire-jackets!"

"In the event, however, of any little obstinancy," he added,
"another will plead with you."

A chill like that of death descended upon me--as, for the second
time, Zarmi clapped her hands, pulled the curtain aside ... and
Karamaneh was thrust into the room!

* * * * * * *

There comes a blank in my recollections. Long after Karamaneh had
been plucked out again by the two muscular brown hands which clutched
her shoulders from the darkness beyond the doorway, I seemed to see
her standing there, in her close-